The Korea Herald

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Female stars recount experiences of ‘rampant’ lookism in Korea

By Im Eun-byel

Published : Nov. 19, 2017 - 14:08

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Night talk show “Get It Beauty” on cable channel OnStyle, which handles subjects related to beauty, discussed the prevalence of lookism in Korea.

The four female hosts of the show all agreed with the statement, “Appearance can give the person a competitive edge.” They revealed episodes of where they were discriminated for their appearances. 

(Screenshot of OnStyle) (Screenshot of OnStyle)

Comedian Park Na-rae started, “I didn’t get invited to a party once. It turns out that those who were invited were all young and beautiful.”

Park at the time was disappointed with the thought that appearance can have an effect on a person’s social life.

Sandara Park, a former 2NE1 member, added, “When abroad, I tend to wear revealing clothes. But in Korea, never. (I cover myself) unconsciously because people evaluate my body.”
 
(Screenshot of OnStyle) (Screenshot of OnStyle)

She explained that she gets malicious comments online for being thin and small.

Actress Lee Honey recounted, “When I gain some weight, there is an immediate response online. Some even call me as ‘a wild boar.’” 

(Screenshot of OnStyle) (Screenshot of OnStyle)

Another actress Lee Se-young said, “We tend to easily evaluate another person’s appearance.”

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)